


Between Two Worlds

by DesertVixen



Category: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, She-Ra: Princess Of Power
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2015-12-20
Packaged: 2018-05-07 21:07:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5470811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesertVixen/pseuds/DesertVixen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One of Adora's visits to Eternia</p>
            </blockquote>





	Between Two Worlds

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Leyenn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leyenn/gifts).



She often felt as if she were pulled between two worlds, and didn’t truly belong to either. 

On the one hand, there was Eternia. Even if she couldn’t remember it, she had been born there. Her parents and her brother were all there, and she liked being there. Try as she might, however, Adora always felt like a visitor there – a welcome one, but a visitor all the same. She had no idea what she would actually do there. Eternia already had He-Man, and surely didn’t need another super hero. But she had she had no real idea how to be a princess.

On the other hand, there was Etheria. This was the place that she had been raised, even if she had not seen much of it before leaving Hordak’s service. She had come to love it now, with all its strange beauty and hidden secrets. She also felt as if she owed Etheria repayment for the time she had spent serving the Horde, perpetuating their cruel reign over the peoples of Etheria. 

So she worked, both as Adora and She-Ra, to help free Etheria. 

Her brother made it a point to visit her frequently. Adora thought Adam was able to relax more on Etheria, where he didn’t have to constantly play the role of the slightly useless Prince Adam to keep anyone from suspecting that he was He-Man. 

However, it was rare that she was able to return the favor and visit Eternia. That made visits like this one even more special.

*** *** 

One of the major differences between Eternia and Etheria was that Etheria was divided into many kingdoms, while Eternia had one ruler. There were parts of Eternia where King Randor’s power did not reach, but other than Skeletor, he had no rivals. 

Hordak had not hesitated to use the old rivalries and disagreements of Etheria’s kingdoms to play the rulers off each other. The Horde hadn’t been the only force of evil on the world, and other bad elements had either joined the Horde or taken advantage of weakened kingdoms. 

Since the Rebellion had freed Queen Angella, with the help of He-Man and She-Ra, things had begun to change. Bright Moon had been one of the last kingdoms to fall to the Horde, and its forceful queen had been one of the reasons. Since her release, Angella had been working to bring more kingdoms and territories under Bright Moon’s banner, arguing that the only way to drive the Horde from Etheria would be to work together. So far, the effort was only mildly successful – the legacy of bitterness between many of the groups was still too strong. 

There was also the fact that it didn’t take much to qualify as a kingdom on Etheria. The kingdom of Mystacor, ruled by Adora’s friend Castaspella, was small enough to ride across in a single day on horseback - on a slow horse. Adora was sure that even after all this time, she had still not met all the people who claimed to rule a portion of Etheria. 

King Randor had agreed to assist Etheria in some small ways – Adora wondered how long it had taken Adam to talk their father around to the idea. Only a very few Etherian kingdoms still had any professional soldiers left, and the majority of those kingdoms were still on the hostile side. The members of the Great Rebellion were dedicated to their cause, but that dedication did not always translate into martial skills.

To mark the occasion, the three queens who would be signing the agreement – Angella, Castaspella, and Frosta – had been invited to Eternia for a state visit. It was to be a short one, due to concerns that Hordak would try to carry out an evil plot against Bright Moon while they were gone, but it would include a ball.

More important for Adora, it would be the first time that her two worlds truly came together.

*** *** 

The style for formal gowns on Eternia was currently running towards extravagant, with full floaty skirts and lots of beading. Adora had selected a dark red gown that echoed her everyday outfit, with the white and gold shoulder sash that proclaimed her status as a member of the royal family. The skirt was a little cumbersome, considering what she normally wore, but it was better than the slinky gowns that had been required at formal events in the Fright Zone. She could move in this one, if she needed to. The final touch was a delicate jeweled tiara, with her long blonde hair falling around her shoulders. 

Adora gave her appearance one last look in the mirror, then started for the wing where the Etherian rulers were being housed. She had agreed to escort them down to the receiving room, rather than having servants fetch them. Adora hoped it would make everyone feel more comfortable.

They made a colorful group, even more colorful than normal. Queen Angella looked regal in dark pink, while Glimmer wore a dark purple gown that shimmered and sparkled, in addition to doing justice to her figure. Adora idly wondered how many male guests would be picking up their jaws. Frosta’s pale blue gown managed to match her hair perfectly. Castaspella had opted for dark blue edged with gold, and appeared to have taken the most care with her appearance. Adora wondered if her brother would appreciate the care taken on his behalf.

“Shall we go down?” Adora smiled at all of them, pleased to see her Etherian friends looking comfortable.

*** ***

He couldn’t believe his luck. Not only did he have a chance to capture the entire Eternian royal family, there were also visiting rulers from Etheria who would make fine bargaining chips with Hordak.  
It just didn’t get much better than that. Best of all, He-Man did not appear to have been invited.

Skeletor chuckled, and turned to Evil-Lyn. “Shall we go to a party tonight?”

“I’d love to,” she said sweetly.

*** *** 

So far, everything was going smoothly, Adora thought. The formal toasts and other boring parts of the evening had been dispensed with, the treaty had been publically signed, and they were into the fun part of a ball. The fact that all of the visiting leaders were female had caused some minor protocol issues, but those were all memories now.

Now it was time to have fun. As she had predicted, Glimmer was a huge hit with many of the younger men, and Adora watched fondly as her friend flirted and danced and enjoyed the life of a fairy-tale princess for at least one evening. Glimmer had spent much of her short life in the Rebellion, and she deserved to have some fun.

Frosta was also making the rounds, although she was noticeably disappointed that He-Man was not making an appearance. Adora suspected that He-Man was part of the reason Frosta had agreed to come on the trip. However, Frosta was not living up to her chilly title tonight, and instead mingled freely. 

Castaspella had made a play for Adam, which he had not tried too hard to avoid. Adora could not help noticing that Teela didn’t seem entirely pleased with the situation, but it was possible that she was just uncomfortable with the whole dress thing. Adora had complimented her on the beautiful dark green gown, but it had not escaped her notice that the Captain of the Royal Guard had on her usual boots underneath the long skirt.

Angella had been drawn into a discussion with several of Eternia’s royal councilors, and although the conversation had concerned serious matters every time Adora passed by, Bright Moon’s queen appeared to be enjoying herself. 

She danced some, but she found it more enjoyable to watch the crowd of people. She enjoyed watching her friends and family enjoy themselves. It brought back memories of celebrations in the Whispering Woods after dealing a blow to the Horde, when people danced and sang and enjoyed themselves. 

She almost wished herself back there.

*** ***

“I see you’ve managed to tear yourself away from my brother, Casta,” Adora teased as the Queen of Mystacor approached her. “The two of you seem very friendly.”

“I have been enjoying myself,” the other woman replied with a small smile. 

“But…” Adora said after a moment. 

“There is something very odd about a pair of your parents’ guests,” Casta said quietly. “They are using some sort of magical disguise. I can sense it, but I cannot see beneath it.”

Adora looked across the room, to a couple that was standing near the dais her parents stood on. “In the black?”

Casta nodded. “It may be noth-“

There was a magical explosion in front of the dais, and she could hear Skeletor’s rather distinctive laugh. She had no idea who the woman beside him was, but Adora doubted that she was on their side. 

Adora felt herself instinctively reaching back for the sword that was not there – the Sword of Protection was not what stylish young ladies used to accessorize at balls. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her brother slipping into the corner. Looks like Frosta will get her wish, Adora thought with a laugh.

“We have to do something,” Adora told her, and the two women ran forward. Adora was happy that at least her skirt gave her room to run, and wondered how long it would take Adam to find an unoccupied area so he could change into He-Man.

Casta was muttering under her breath, and Adora was thankful for the small spell that magically cleared their path.

There were bright flashes, and she realized that Angella and Glimmer were the two closest to the dais. Teela was moving towards the dais from the other direction, and Adora wondered where the rest of the Guard was. She wouldn’t put it past Skeletor to have put them under some sort of mass sleeping spell.

“Now, Randor, you shall deal with me!” Skeletor shouted, pointing his staff at the King of Eternia. Adora gathered the skirt of her dress in one hand, and lunged for the bony-faced villain. She had lost her parents for all those years while Hordak and Shadow Weaver raised her in the Fright Zone. She would not lose them again while she was standing right there, fancy dress be damned.

Casta was right behind her, and the woman who had stood next to Skeletor was suddenly wrapped from head to toe in flowering vines. Her friend did enjoy making her spells pretty, Adora reflected, and she had no complaint as long as they were also functional.

Adora struggled underneath Skeletor, fighting him for control of the staff. Dimly, she heard people yelling for the Guards, and could see the purple flashes that usually meant Glimmer was doing her own magic. 

Other villains were rushing in – they had apparently been hiding outside the ballroom. Adora reflected that her parents’ guard arrangements really needed some more work. She could feel the magic crackling in the air around her, but she kept her grip on the staff somehow. Being this close to Skeletor made her skin crawl, but someone had to keep him busy.

Since She-Ra couldn’t just drop in, she supposed Adora would have to do. 

She felt her strength starting to fail – she was in good shape as Adora, but nothing compared to her alter-ego – when suddenly Skeletor’s weight was lifted from her. She wasn’t surprised to see He-Man standing there with Skeletor hoisted over his head. The next thing she knew, Skeletor was sailing through the air. 

The bonehead landed on his feet, and brandished his staff. “You may have stopped me this time, He-Man, but I’ll be back.” He waved the staff again, and vanished – as did his henchmen. The flowery vine-chains that Casta had conjured fell to the ground in a shapeless heap.

He-Man shook his head. “The sad thing is, he will be.” 

He surveyed the ballroom that had only a few minutes before been perfectly decorated. “Your Majesties, my apologies for being late to the party. Although it seems several of your guests had matters well in hand.”

King Randor dusted himself off before shaking He-Man’s hand, while Queen Marlena gave him a warm smile. “You made a most timely appearance, He-Man,” Randor boomed. “We would be honored if you would stay and celebrate with us. And has anyone seen Prince Adam?”

Adora was sure she saw He-Man wince. But she wasn’t sure if it was their father’s remark, or the fact that Frosta had latched onto his arm. She saw Teela shooting glares at Frosta that could have frozen the Ice Empress.

“I’ll go find him,” Adora said quickly. “I think he was helping Man-at-Arms see to the defenses.”

*** ***

“Just another quiet family reunion,” Adam sighed as the two of them stood on a balcony overlooking the courtyard. The ball had broken up, and the servants were cleaning up the debris from Skeletor’s attack, as well as a successful party.

“That does seem to be how my visits go,” Adora said with a smile. “Casta seemed to be having a nice time.”

Adam smiled a little as well. “She wasn’t the only one, until Skeletor decided to crash the party.” The smile faded from his face as he looked out into the night. “Once again, our father was disappointed.”

Adora only laid a hand on his shoulder. There was really nothing she could say that would make that subject any better.

After a few long and uncomfortable moments, Adora decided it was time to lighten the mood. “Casta wants to know when my brother will visit Etheria next. She thinks you should pay a visit to the kingdom of Mystacor.”

He smiled slightly, acknowledging her attempt to pull him out of his funk. “Then she was not too disappointed with my disappearance?”

“She was disappointed, but she understands that duty has to come first.” 

The slight smile faded. “Tell me about it,” Adam muttered.

Adora’s heart went out to her brother. She thought that maybe her problem of being torn between two worlds was small in comparison to her brother’s issues. 

She hoped that one day, both their problems would be solved. 

One day.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it! I liked the part in your prompt about trying to make Etheria a little more realistic, so I went with the idea that they really do need to get some outside help if they're going to defeat the Horde - and you would think King Randor would be in favor of doing what he could to get his daughter home sooner. I also like the idea that Adora struggles with being pulled between the two places, just as Adam struggled with his two personalities. 
> 
> I didn't want to get too realistic, though, because otherwise the Royal Guard should be FIRED. 
> 
> Plus I just watched the episode where Castaspella was being all moony over Adam, so I wanted to drag that in.


End file.
